Sydrian
by FannieForever15
Summary: "I look up and scan the area, but I don't notice anything peculiar. Then I look down." Sydney/Adrian. Rated T to be safe. Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Romance, Fluff. Read and Review! *The first four chapters have been revised.*
1. Tremble for My Beloved

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns the Bloodlines series.**

I've always taken pride in the fact that I am an Alchemist. I'm content with my occupation and the duties that come with it. But, there's one exception, being on duty _all the time_. I can be called on at all hours of the day which is why I'm up at three in the morning.

I received the call that there has been a Strigoi attack on Main Street, and I am needed immediately. Thankfully, Main Street is only ten minutes from my house, so "immediately" meant I still had time for coffee. Thank goodness. In a blur, I end up in my car starting the heat and sipping coffee from my thermos.

The attack had happened right next to the local bar. The Strigoi had chosen the easier targets: the dregs, drunkards, and drug addicts of our city. They said there were three staked, which wouldn't have seemed like much if I hadn't been running on three hours of sleep and a cup of caffeine.

As I drive up to the bar, I can see blood and the bodies lying in the street. When I park, I take one more sip of my warm drink and scan over the bodies. One has shorter blonde hair similar to my sister, Zoe. The thought of this abomination and my little sister having something in common ran chills down my spine, and I tried to move the thought aside quickly.

I grab my bag and get out, stepping in the fine dusting of snow left on the street. As I shut my door softly, I see something out of the corner of my eye and spin around. "Hello?" No response is given. "Wow, Sydney. You're seeing things. You really need some sleep." I say to myself while giggling softly. I walk over to them and cringe when I see the eyes of one of the Strigoi looking straight at me. "Creepy," I mutter to myself.

I open my bag to get some bottles out, and I see something in my peripheral vision. I look up and scan the area, but I don't notice anything peculiar, until I look down.

The body of the Strigoi who was staring at me is now gone.

I start to panic on the inside, but I know I must stay calm. Composure is everything. I take a deep breath and look around hesitantly, trying to spot him. He's nowhere to be seen. I pull out my cell phone to notify the Alchemists when something impales me from behind. I gasp and drop my phone, my hands moving to grab the object. I look down and see a crowbar… _my _crowbar sticking through my chest. My breathing speeds up drastically and I let out a panicked sob as I fall to the ground.

Then, the pain kicks in. I cry out as I feel an intense pain blooming in my chest. As the pain becomes overwhelming, I grit my teeth, having never experienced this much hurt before.

I lay on the cold, snowy pavement, breathing so quickly that I'm probably hyperventilating.

"Breathe," I say shakily to myself. "B-breathe."

My hands fall to the ground, and I feel a hot liquid. I raise my hand to my face, but I can't see it. My vision is too blurred. I blink a few times and bring my hand closer to my face, and I let out a quiet cry when I realize that it's blood, _my_ blood. I let out a panicked sob. After five minutes that seem like hours, I realize I need to do something and I reach for my phone. I dial someone's number, hoping it's the right one. With shaky hands, I manage to hold my phone to my ear and listen, hoping with all the life left in me that someone answers.

"Sage," Adrian whines. "Three a.m.? Really?"

"A-A…" I stutter, unable to talk.

"Sage?" He waits for me to answer, apparently not hearing my attempt to speak.

With feeble efforts, I try again. "A-Ad…"

"Sydney," he says in a panicked voice. "Sydney… what's going on?" I try to answer, but all that comes out is a moan. "Where are you?"

"M-Main…" I mumble, hoping he can piece it together.

I feel myself slip out of consciousness a while later as someone comes running toward me.

As my eyelids flutter open, I see two figures fighting. I try to speak, but I fail. I can still feel the metal object inside of me, but I know better than to pull it out. I blink a few times, and I see that Adrian is one of the figures.

The other is the Strigoi.

My eyes go wide with fear, hoping he doesn't get hurt. Right before I fall out of consciousness again, I hear a scream that's not Adrian's.

When my eyes open again, I see Adrian running over to me. "Sage," he gasps out. He kneels beside me and caresses my cheek. I smile weakly, mouthing his name.

"Don't try to talk. It's okay." He strokes my cheek. "Can you look at me, Sage," he asks in a gentle voice. I nod slightly, but I don't focus my gaze on him. "Sydney, look at me. C'mon." he commands gently. I blink and open my eyes wide, trying to find him. As his smile comes into my view, I stare at him, so I don't lose focus.

"There you go." He smiles. "I need you to focus on me, okay? Focus on my eyes, on my voice."

_No problem _I think to myself, smiling slightly. He lays one hand on my lower chest where the crow bar is sticking out of me, and he grabs the bar with his other hand. My face fills with shock when I see that he's decided to pull it out.

_No_, I mouth.

"Trust me," he says in a successful attempt to placate me. He smiles slightly as I feel familiar rush of heat flowing through my body. It takes me a second to process what was happening, but when I realize he was using Spirit on me, tears started spilling out of my eyes.

He wipes my tears gently and shakes his head. "Sage… I'm going to help you, okay? It's alright… you're okay..."

I slowly nod my head and mouth, "I trust you."

He nods with a pained look on his face. Keeping eye contact with me, he speaks in a gentle voice. "You're not in pain, Sydney."

Suddenly, the pain of my wound disappears, and I keep staring into his eyes, using my commendable determination to focus on him.

"Stay calm, okay," he continues in his gentle voice as he looks down at the crow bar. He tightens his grip on the bar and presses down on my chest lightly, and I feel slight pressure. I let out a scared whimper. He makes eye contact with me again. "Shh… you're okay. Calm down."

I feel a wave of tranquilly course through me as I let my body relax.

"You're doing great," he soothes as he looks back at the bar. He starts pulling upward on the bar, dislodging it from my chest. I feel a slight tingling in me, and I realize he's healing my wound as he pulls the bar out. I sigh quietly when it dawns on me that I'll be perfectly okay.

**A/N: Please Review!**


	2. Turn for the Worse

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns the Bloodlines series.**

**A/N: I'd like to give thanks to my Beta VAlover21 and Shadow-Kiss-The-Weak.**

**Last chapter: I feel a slight tingling in me, and I realize he's healing my wound as he pulls the bar out. I sigh quietly when it dawns on me that I'll be perfectly okay. I sigh quietly when it dawns on me that I'll be perfectly okay.**

I slowly wake up, but I keep my heavy lidded eyes closed. For a moment, I consider going back to sleep until I realize that I don't know where I am.

_Think, Sydney. Think._

Light footsteps land in the distance. I try to think about who I was with, but I fail. I could hear a faint beeping noise that belongs to a microwave. I piece together that I am in a house, most likely near a kitchen.

I slowly open my eyes just to shut them again when I am blinded by the light coming in through an open window. Once my eyes adjust to the brightness of the room, I look around, and the first thing I notice is that I'm lying on a familiar and hideous plaid couch and surrounded by yellow walls. I take a deep breath and the scent of Adrian's aftershave fills my nostrils. I smile immediately as I see him take a seat on the coffee table in front of me.

"Hey, Sage. I assume you're feeling refreshed after your nap," he says with a smirk.

I nod slightly, feeling a little groggy. He extends a cup with what looks like hot chocolate toward me. I start to protest, but he interrupts me.

"Sugar free, scout's honor."

I look at it, crinkling my nose, and he smirks. "You want to see the package? It has zero sugar, I swear."

I smile at his eager attempt to reassure me. "I believe you," I say, looking up at him with a shy smile.

He smiles slightly, but I can tell he's a bit confused. "Snow White called. She said Bashful had a personality swap. You must've been the victim."

I look down, blushing. Only Adrian would say something like that, and it was beyond me how he knew of Snow White, a princess movie for children.

He waits a minute before talking. "You're okay, right? I mean… no pain or anything?"

"Of course I'm not in pain. You made sure of that," I say shyly, smiling.

_This is Adrian. Stop acting like this._

He smiles, looking down. After a few moments, he looks back up at her, still smiling. "What did you have in mind, exactly? Did you want me to take you to a hospital instead," he says sarcastically.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, totally," I say in the same tone, knowing I wouldn't have made it if he did that. I reach my hand out hesitantly. "Hand it over, Ivashkov."

"Wow. You're using last names, Sage. Feeling spontaneous?" he smirks, which only makes me roll my eyes again. I start sitting up and struggle, and he lays a supporting hand on my back to help me.

I smile slightly. "Thanks." I take the steaming cup of hot chocolate from him, wrapping my cold hands around the cup.

He shrugs. "Spirit is a very powerful thing. It has its effects on people," he says cautiously, and I can tell he doesn't want to bring it up. I nod slightly and look down, tears filling my eyes. He looks at me before reaching over to lay a hand on my arm. I look at his hand through bleary eyes then up at him. I swallow the lump that had formed in my throat and a few tears fall.

"Thank you, Adrian," I say in a small voice, feeling so incredibly grateful for having him as a friend.

_Maybe he's more than a friend._

"Don't get all mushy on me, Sage." He smiles, and I shrug and look away, frowning slightly when he takes his hand back. "Go on. Drink your gross and healthy beverage."

At this, I smile. "Just because its sugar free, doesn't mean that it's healthy," I smile a little broader before continuing. "Even _you _should know that."

He raises his eyebrows. "Geez. That _almost_ hurt."

I laugh softly then yawn, just now remembering how tired I am. I take a few sips of cocoa before yawning again. I look up at him with a panicked expression when I realize I'm supposed to be at Amberwood. "I have to go!" I stand up quickly, only to get a head rush and to be gently pushed back down by Adrian. "Hey!"

He shakes his head. "It's taken care of," he says in his usual carefree tone.

"What? How is it possibly been taken care of?" Adrian can't excuse me from school. Heck, he wouldn't even _call _a school for that matter.

"Don't worry about it." He smirks. "Wait… did I really just tell _Sage_ not to worry?" he laughs. "God, what have I been drinking!?"

I laugh and sip at my drink again, momentarily distracted. Even with consuming the warm liquid, I start shivering. I look over at the open window, wishing it was shut.

"Cold," he asks, getting up and grabbing a blanket from a wicker basket across the room.

I shake my head. "I'm fine. No need to inconvenience yourself." I smile a little, my teeth chattering. Ignoring me, he comes over and puts the blanket gently over my shoulders at pats one of them. "Thanks," I say quietly.

"No problem." He says nonchalantly.

"So… what was my excuse from school?" I ask curiously, wondering what bizarre story he came up with. "And did you think of it yourself?"

"Not quite. Eddie helped a little."

"How much is _a little_?" I smirk.

He smiles. "Okay, a lot," he confesses. "He was there the whole time, you know."

My brow furrows in confusion. "He… he was? I didn't see him."

He nods. "Who do you think killed that Strigoi?"

My mind was spinning. Eddie could kill a Strigoi without getting hurt, right? Of course he can kill one of those unnatural demons without inflicting any damage on himself; he's a guardian. He wouldn't be in Palm Springs protecting Jill if he wasn't.

"Don't have an anxiety attack, Sage," he says in a sarcastic tone, though I hear a hint of worry in his voice.

"I'm not having an anxiety attack. Anxiety attacks are episodes of intense panic or fear that usually last thirty minutes…" I babble on, finding comfort in the knowledge.

"Sage…"

I stop talking and look up at him, blushing. "Sorry…" I look back down.

"Did you just apologize for informing me on something extremely useful?" He smirks. "I'll see if what I go through is an anxiety attack the next time I run out of hair gel."

I chuckle and keep sipping at the cocoa until it's gone, and I hand him the empty cup. He takes his and sits it beside him on the coffee table.

"Adrian, why are you _sitting_ on a coffee table?"

He shrugs. "Maybe just to bug you." He smirks.

I roll my eyes. "I actually wouldn't doubt that." I pause. "What's my excuse from school?"

"Abe helped," he says quietly, knowing I don't like asking Abe for anything anymore. I nod slowly, not really caring how he helped, but I know from experience that Ibrahim Mazur can make anything happen. I hear a knock at the door and Adrian gets up to answer it. I lay back down, closing my eyes.

But, as if on cue, Abe walks into the living room. I groan internally and sit up, avoiding eye contact. He's always intimidated me. I mean, who _isn't _intimidated by him? He's almost comparable to a Moroi mobster even though he calls himself a business man. I'd hardly call a blackmailing, illegal good selling, middle aged male a _business man_.

I can't help but notice that he's wearing a forest green suit, a matching scarf with strands of silver in it, and his famous earring. When I finally work my gaze up to his face, I see his black goatee then his brown eyes staring at me. "Good morning, Mr. Mazur…" I say in a timid voice.

He nods once. "Miss Sage. I assume you're feeling better?"

I nod quickly. "Of course. Adrian is very… skillful in his healing abilities." I stumble through the words and mentally scold myself for showing that I am slightly intimidated.

He nods slightly, seeming as if he doesn't really care. I look down, too tired to talk. Adrian's cell phone rings, and he goes outside with the call as he answers it. I look down, feeling very uncomfortable being alone with Abe. He sits down in a chair across the room. I clear my throat and talk to the ground. "How did you get me excused from school?"

He looks over at him and answers, "I paid off some alchemist to call the school for you."

"And… they bought it?"

"Apparently."

I nod slightly, not appreciating his attitude. I don't say anything else, wanting Adrian to come back in.

After a few minutes, Adrian rushes back in with a worried and terrified expression, and he grabs his jacket and throws some shoes on.

"Adrian? What's wrong," I ask, concerned.

"It's Jill." He says in an exasperated and fearful tone. I stand up immediately, suddenly very alert.

"What happened?" I say, crossing the room to him.

"She got hurt at school, and I don't know if she's okay. What if she's not okay, Sydney? What if she's really hurt!? Why didn't they tell me sooner," he says in a panicked tone. I put a hand on his shoulder, hoping to calm him down.

"Hey, calm down, Adrian. Getting all worked up about it won't help anything, okay? Where is she?"

"Uh…" he runs a hand through his hair, trying to remember. "The hospital by the school." I nod.

"I'll drive you there. C'mon." I grab his arm and gently pull him toward the door, but Abe interrupts.

"You should rest, Sydney. Let me take him." I shake my head and keep walking, pulling Adrian out the door with me. Once we're in the car, he puts his head in his hands, and I can tell that he's freaking out inside. I start the car quickly and begin driving down the road. Adrian lifts his head back up to look out the window, and he rests his hands on his knees. By the look on his face, I can tell that he is extremely upset about this.

"Look at me," I say to him gently. He shakes his head and keeps looking out the window. I sigh quietly before putting my hand over his. He jumps a bit at the touch and looks over at me. "Thank you," I say, and I keep my hand on his. "Jill will be fine, okay? You can even heal her if she needs it. She'll be fine."

He keeps looking at me, as if still trying to process the words in his head and comprehend them. He nods slowly.

I nod once. "Okay." I focus my attention on the road and keep my hand over his, aware of the proximity, but I know if I remove my hand that he won't stay calm. I smile slightly at the thought, liking how I can do that for him.

When we arrive at the hospital, he practically jumps out of my car and runs into the hospital with me at his heels. As soon as we get through the entrance, Adrian freezes and his eyes go wide.

When he speaks, it comes out in a terrified whisper.

"Jill…"

**A/N: Please review!**


	3. Crying and Coddling

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns the Bloodlines series and all of it's characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to my beta VAlover21 and Shadow-Kiss-The-Weak. Enjoy, and please review!**

**Last chapter: As soon as we get through the entrance, Adrian freezes and his eyes go wide. When he speaks, it comes out in a terrified whisper. "Jill…"**

I look in the same direction as he does, seeing Jill on a stretcher.

Adrian stares in shock at Jill who has blood on her face and looks like she's on the verge of losing consciousness. I take his arm gently and walk him over to the stretcher. "Is she okay," I ask a nearby nurse.

The nurse gives a friendly smile. "Yes, dear, she'll be just fine." I nod slightly and look at Adrian, seeing a blank look on his face as he stares at Jill.

"Hey, did you hear that," I ask him gently, still holding onto his arm. He doesn't respond, so I shake his arm gently. "Adrian?" He blinks and looks at me, and I can tell he's struggling to keep himself composed.

"She'll be fine," the nurse says, trying to reassure Adrian. "She's a little dehydrated and she got a cut on her forehead from falling. That's where the blood came from. We'll have to keep her over night to make sure that she's completely okay." she continues explaining.

"Adrian. Say something." I say to him quietly, a little startled by his silence. "Please."

He looks at me then at the nurse. "Can we stay?"

She shakes her head. "Only parents are permitted to stay, dear. I apologize." He swallows hard, and I can see him Adam's apple move up then down.

"Can I hug her," he asks a bit timidly. The nurse nods.

"Be very gentle," the nurse responds, watching him. He leans down to Jill and hugs her very gently, and I assume that he's trying to heal her as much as possible. When he pulls away, his expression turns blank again, and he walks away quickly.

I look at him walking away, and my eyebrows knit together. I turn back to the nurse, putting a kind face on. "Thank you, ma'am."

She nods and smiles. "Come back tomorrow and visit if you'd like." I nod and watch them push Jill down the hall, and I turn and run after Adrian. Once I get in the parking lot, I see him sitting on a bench near my car and go over to him.

"Come on. Let's go."

He doesn't respond.

"Adrian?"

No response.

"You're scaring me a little…" I tell him, being honest.

He gets up, keeping his head down, and he gets into the car without saying a word. I watch him, speechless. I look in through the window at Adrian, and I see his eyes.

They're rimmed in red.

I get into the car shortly after Adrian does, and I look over at him. "Hello, Earth to Adrian," I say, trying to get him to talk to me. "At least look at me…"

I can see his hesitation as he looks over at me, his emerald green eyes filled with tears. I stare at him in shock, but he keeps looking at me.

"Oh my gosh," I say to myself, voice full of concern. I get out of the car and quickly go to his door, opening it. I awkwardly pull him into a hug, but he pushes me away, _of course._ "Adrian, come on. Don't be like this right now."

"Like what, myself," he asks in a harsh voice.

_Two can play at that game._

"Yes, exactly," I say with the same harshness that's in his tone. I continue in a softer voice, knowing that being snarky back to him won't get me anywhere. "Look… I see that you're hurting right now, Adrian, so don't even bother trying to hide it." I hold up my hand to halt his protests that I know are coming. "Pushing me away will _not _make you feel better."

He waits a few moments before responding. "You done," he asks in a flat tone that makes my jaw drop. Once I manage to close my mouth, I glare at him.

"Yeah." I nod once. "Yeah, I'm done," I say before closing his door a little harder than necessary and getting in on the driver's side, starting the car. I sneak a discreet glance at him and see that his eyes are still red from crying, and I give an internal sigh as I drive him home. He stares at the dashboard, and I see his bottom lip trembling occasionally. I frown slightly, not liking his dismal mood, and I turn the radio on, hoping to distract him a bit.

I see him rub his eyes a few times as I pull into his driveway. After I shut off the car, he immediately gets out and quickly goes inside. I follow him at the same pace, putting my hand out to catch the door before he slams it.

He starts pacing around the house, trying to occupy himself with tidying up, watering a plant, and looking at his hair in a mirror, so I intervene. "Adrian," I say, trying to get him to turn toward me. When he doesn't, I go over to him where he's straightening a stack of magazines on the coffee table. "Hey," I say, still trying to get him to look at me, and I can see he's struggling to hold himself together. "Adrian, stop." I say softly, laying my hand on his wrist.

He shakes his head while shaking my hand off his wrist, still straightening the magazines though they're already straight.

"Adrian." I take his wrists gently in my hands, and he feebly tries to pull his shaking hands away, but I won't let him. "Look at me."

"N-no," he stutters out, still trying to pull his wrists from my grip.

I sigh. "Adr—"

"No," he interrupts, finally breaking down into tears. "N-no!"

"Hey…" I say gently, putting an arm around him.

He shakes his head and half-heartedly tries to push me away.

I shake my head and pull him into a hug, and he doesn't push me away.

_Finally._

I feel his body shaking, and he makes a tiny whimpering noise as he fights a sob away. "Hey," I say in the same gentle voice, pulling back to look him in the eyes. "It's just me, okay? I don't care if you cry. No one else will see you."

"Exactly. It's _you, _Sage. I-I don't want you to see me like this," he says in a shaky voice.

My heart clenches as he lets out his first sob.

I squeeze his shoulder before pushing him gently down onto the couch and going to his bathroom, getting a box of tissues and wetting a washcloth with cool water. I bring the tissues and cloth back out to him and sit beside him on the couch.

"Here," I say gently, handing him the tissues.

He nods slightly and blows his nose a couple times, throwing the soiled tissues into a trash can next to the couch. I set the tissues aside and hand him the washcloth.

"Stop coddling me, Sage," he says in a shaky voice.

"I'm not coddling you. I'm taking care of you just like you did for me."

He nods slightly and wipes his face with the cloth then holds it to his forehead. I keep watching him, not really knowing what to do next. "Do you want some water or something," I ask gently. He shakes his head. I nod slightly and look out the window, feeling rude for staring at him. When I hear him sniffle, I look back at him and see a few tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Adrian…" I put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze gently. "Talk to me."

He shakes his head and so do I. "Come on. I usually can't get you to shut up," I say, smirking slightly.

He smiles slightly before frowning again, and I sigh.

"She's going to be okay, right," he asks quietly, looking down.

"Of course. The nurse said she'll be _fine_."

He nods slightly, his bottom lip trembling. He looks at me for a second before wrapping his arms around me and silently crying into my shoulder. I gasp quietly, surprised, but I rub his back gently, holding him to me. It kills me to see him in this much pain, but at least I can comfort him. I wonder if he's being affected by Jill's pain...

He curls up on the couch, laying his head in my lap and looking out the window, tears still running down his reddened face. I keep an arm around his shoulders and hesitantly stroke his hair, not knowing how he'll react. As he relaxes slightly, I sigh quietly and keep carding my hand through his hair.

After a few minutes, his crying ceases and I hand him a tissue which he dabs his eyes with. He stares out the window, no doubt trying to calm his emotions down.

"You okay," I ask quietly.

He nods and sits up, looking over at me, not quite making eye contact. "Don't um… don't tell anyone about this…"

I shake my head quickly. "I would never…"

He nods. "I know."

I smile slightly and look away, knowing I'm probably blushing.

"Sage," he says quietly.

I turn to him, and he leans forward, catching me by surprise as he presses a soft kiss to my lips.

Shocked from the sudden kiss, I pull back quickly and stare at him with wide eyes. He looks back at me as if awaiting a reprimand, but I just keep my eyes on him. As he opens his mouth to speak, I quickly lean forward and press my lips to his.

_What am I doing?! He's a Moroi! He's a vampire, and I'm an Alchemist! I can't kiss him!_

Despite my moral thoughts that are swarming around in my head, I can't seem to stop myself, and I can't hold back either. All of my feelings for him rise to the surface, and I move closer to him, kissing him again. He smiles slightly through the kiss and takes my hand. I kiss him back with no hesitation whatsoever though my mind is racing.

When he runs his thumb over my knuckles softly, I get goose bumps, and he pulls back and looks at me with a slight smile. I look down, shocked that he kissed me, but I'm more shocked that I kissed him back.

_Why did I kiss him back?_

He keeps stroking my knuckles with his thumb, and I look at our hands. He smiles slightly as he sees me look at them, and I put my hand over his to hold it still.

"You didn't pull away," he says happily. "_You _kissed _me,_" he says in the same happy tone.

"Nice job. You're very observant," I say in a sarcastic voice that usually comes out of _his _mouth while smiling slightly.

He shrugs. "I am when I want to be," he smiles, and I laugh softly.

I get up and go the kitchen, grabbing him a can of pop, and I bring it back and hand it to him. "Thanks, Sage," he opens it up and takes a few gulps before setting it down and burping loudly. I cringe almost instantly, regretting the decision of giving him a carbonated beverage.

"Adrian," I say in disgust as he laughs loudly. I roll my eyes and look down, and he goes back to drinking his soda.

When I finally work up the nerve to look up at him, I do so with a slight smile. He smiles back at me, reaching up with his free hand to tuck my hair behind my ear.

"This is… incredibly weird…" I say, still looking at him.

He nods slightly. "But…?"

"But… I don't mind it. Stranger things have happened." I smile, wondering if he's still upset over what happened earlier.

Knowing that he won't pull away, I pull him into a hug, and he lays his head on my shoulder, letting me "coddle" him as he had said I was doing earlier. "Are you okay," I ask quietly.

"I am now." he says simply, and I know I'm blushing.

"Well… um… I suppose that I should be getting back to Amberwood now; they're probably wondering what's taking me so long…" I say awkwardly.

He nods slightly. "I'll go visit Jill tomorrow," he says, looking down. I take his hand and lace our fingers together.

"Tell me you're going to be okay here alone," I say in a concerned voice though our proximity is still making me a little uncomfortable, and I wonder if he feels the same level of awkwardness that I do.

"I'll be fine, Sage. One look at my walls and couch and people would ditch this place anyways," he says, smirking. I smile slightly and squeeze his hand, rolling my eyes.

"You know I didn't mean it that way. If you need anything—"

"I'll call."

I nod and stand up, and he stands with me, our hands still connected. I smile slightly at the feeling of our palms pressed together. He walks me over to the door and releases my hand, opening the door for me.

I look at him. "You're letting me go that easy?" I smirk, trying to brighten his mood in the same way he'd try to brighten mine, through sarcasm.

He shrugs. "It'd be a little creepy of me to hold you against your will, so…" He smirks slightly, returning the sarcasm. "I don't want Castile or Angeline coming after me."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, because they're _so_ scary, right?" I smile slightly.

"_Terrifying_." He smirks.

I smile and look out the door then back at him. He looks at me before quickly kissing me on the cheek. My smile broadens as I hug him. "See you later," I say, still smiling, before walking to my car.

I look back at him when I get to my door to see him smiling slightly, and he gives me a slight wave. I smile slightly and wave back before getting into my car and smiling broadly. As I start my car and begin driving down the road, I turn my radio on and start singing loudly, something I very rarely do, in the best mood I've been in months.


	4. Carpe Diem

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns the Bloodlines Series, and I also do not own the Avengers which is referenced.**

**A/N: Bold words****are emails. Thanks to my beta.**

**Last chapter:****As I start my car and begin driving down the road, I turn my radio on and start singing loudly, something I very rarely do, in the best mood I've been in months.**

It's only been a couple of days since Adrian and I last saw each other, but I have a burning urge to see him and hear his voice again. I know it's weird and just wrong to feel this way about seeing him, but I just can't help it. It seems like our friendship has moved to the next level, and now, I almost crave his presence. After sending him a few joking emails, telling him that I need to see him urgently, he informed me that I'm welcome to come over.

* * *

**Adrian, **

**Amberwood is driving me **_**insane, or**_**maybe your craziness just rubbed off on me. Anyways, just to be sure, I need to see you **_**now **_**to make sure it's not just you. **

**Sincerely, Sydney**

* * *

**Sage, **

**Nice way to be subtle. I'm not **_**that**_**crazy, and I most certainly would not rub it off on you if I was! You don't deserve my insanity! Come on over anytime, door's open. But be careful; I cannot be held reliable if you leave my apartment with any level of insanity.**

**-Adrian**

* * *

After completing my schoolwork quickly yet with all of my effort, I drive over to his apartment and knock on the door, trying to hide my excitement.

He answers the door with a proud smile and a package of unopened cigarettes in his hand, and my jaw drops. "Adrian! I thought you were done smoking!"

He rolls his eyes, his smile not faltering. "Calm down, Sage. I _am_ done. I just found these in a drawer, and I'm… throwing them away," he says with a bit of difficulty, and I know that he takes quitting smoking day-by-day.

I nod. "Okay. I believe you." I hold out my hand for them, and he gives them to me without hesitation. I put them in my purse, planning on throwing them out later.

"No smoking them later, Sage," he says with a smirk as he steps aside and gestures toward the living room. "Come on in," he says with a slight smile.

I nod slightly and walk in, going to the couch, suddenly a bit nervous. He shuts the door and follows me in, and we both sit. I turn to him and smile slightly before leaning forward to kiss his cheek, feeling spontaneous for a moment. He smiles, obviously nervous, too, but I can tell that _he_ doesn't think it's obvious.

"So… what was so urgent," he asks with his signature smirk, undoubtedly knowing that I just wanted to see him.

I shrug, no excuse coming to mind. "I don't know, but while I'm here, why don't we watch a movie or something? Pass the time…"

He nods. "Good idea, Sage. Wear your thinking cap today," he jokes, getting up and putting some random movie in, and I laugh.

After he comes back to the couch and sits beside me, he waits a few minutes and holds his hand out toward my lap. I stare at it for a few seconds before realizing that he wants to hold my hand.

_Adrian Ivashkov wants to hold my hand._

I take his hand, tensed up though he's just lounging on the couch. As he laces our fingers together, I start relaxing into the couch as he already has, knowing I have no reason to be nervous. I turn my attention toward the movie, seeing that it's some film about superheroes, and I try to gradually become more comfortable. I loosen my shoulders so I'm not so tense, and I stretch my legs out slightly so I'm almost in a slouching position.

When he starts rubbing circles into the back of my hand, almost like he's unaware of doing it, I relax further and even lean my shoulder against his. He smiles slightly, looking at the television, and leaves me to relax at my own pace. That's one of the things I love about Adrian; though he jokes endlessly, it seems like he never tries to make me uncomfortable or rush me in a time like this when we have close proximity.

After a while, I lay my head on his shoulder, feeling like we've been this comfortable with each other for a long time.

* * *

By the time the movie is over, Adrian has both arms around me, and I am curled up on the couch next to him, my head still resting on his shoulder. I look up at him and see him looking at the TV. After the credits are over, he takes one of his arms back and picks up the remote, turning the DVD player and television off. "Wow. I never knew that fixing fans was in Iron Man's job description."

I roll my eyes. "It was an _engine_, Adrian. You know, like cars have," I joke, knowing that he was joking, too.

He laughs. "Oh, Sage, just because you're an expert on cars doesn't mean I can't be, too," he says, though we both know all he knows about cars is how to drive them… kind of.

"But you're not," I say in a brusque voice, trying not to giggle.

"So," he says, smirking. He squeezes me gently with the arm he has around me before getting up and going over to the DVD player, taking the disk out, putting it in the case, and placing it back with the other movies. I watch him the whole time, admiring the way he walks, the color of his eyes, how his hair is gelled.

"So," he says, snapping me out of my marveling state. I look away quickly, hoping he didn't see me staring at him. "Chinese?"

I shake my head. "No. Absolutely not. China's the most polluted country in the world."

He rolls his eyes. "What does that have to do with the food in the Chinese place downtown?"

I shrug. "I'm not sure. Ask me later."

He rolls his eyes, smiling slightly. "Pizza?"

I shake my head again. "No. It's too greasy," I say, smiling, purposely aggravating him. It's so fun to give him a taste of his own medicine. It's fun just to be around him. He smiles at me, sitting next to me again and taking my hand.

"Okay, how about a salad? Lettuce, fat-free Italian dressing, maybe a few croutons? It'll be a _blast,_" he says in an overly enthusiastic voice.

"Skip the croutons, and it'll be a party," I say, smiling.

"Sounds like a plan," he says, standing up and pulling me up with him, taking me with him to the kitchen.

I go with him willingly, actually quite hungry. As I absentmindedly look at his counters, I spot a pie and some canisters labeled 'flour', 'sugar', 'coffee', and 'tea', and I suddenly had a brilliant, or not so brilliant, idea.

As he starts getting items out for salad, I moseyed on over to the canisters.

"So, Italian dressing, right," he asks.

"_Fat-free _Italian," I correct, and he rolls his eyes, turning away from me to prepare the salads. With his back now to me, I sneak the lid off of the flour canister and get a handful of the powdered grain, and I put the lid back on, all without making a sound. I hide my hand behind my back, trying to be casual about it.

He starts turning to me, saying, "Dinner is ser—" I throw the flour into his face, interrupting him, smiling broadly as it coats his face, hair, and shirt. After a few seconds, I burst out laughing, looking at his shocked expression.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," he says, pushing me aside and getting a handful of flour, turning to me with a menacing look.

I shake my head quickly, squealing with joy as I run from him. He, of course, chases after me, grabbing my shoulder, turning me to him and throwing the flour into _my_ face, returning the favor.

"Adrian," I exclaim with a gasp, smiling broadly before running back to the kitchen and getting more flour, this time filling both of my hands with it, and as I turn around to throw it at him, he throws the pie from the counter in my face! Why didn't _I _think of that? The creamy, gooey filling spreads across my whole countenance, and I use the back of my hand to wipe it out of my eyes.

I drop the flour in my hands on the floor, my jaw dropped. "You _so_ did not just do that."

"I _so_ did," he says, chuckling. "What are you going to do about it, Sage?"

I purse my lips slightly, looking around the room. My eyes lock on the refrigerator, and I run over to it, grabbing something and hiding it behind my back, turning to him. He gives me a look of false fright, backing away.

I take a few steps toward him before whipping a bottle of ketchup out from behind my back, smiling and squirting it at him.

"Eww," he yells, quickly guarding his face with his hands. "Not the face!"

I laugh at him, putting down the ketchup. "My masterpiece," I exclaim, getting my phone out and taking a picture of him.

He comes over to me and swipes my phone out of my hands.

"Hey," I say, frowning, trying to get it back.

He smirks and puts an arm around me and raises the phone's camera to the level of our faces, looking at it and smiling. Surprised, I look at _him _and not the camera. He quickly takes a picture, looks at it, and laughs.

"Give me that," I say, snatching it out of his hand and looking at the picture, laughing as well. I look stunned by his very presence. "Wow. _That's _attractive," I say, bringing up the menu to delete it.

"No way," he says, smirking, taking the phone back, causing me groan in annoyance. He raises the phone back to where he had it before. "Now smile."

After hesitating a moment, I look at the camera and smile, albeit not genuinely, and he smiles, too, taking a couple of pictures.

He sticks his tongue out and looks at me, telling me with his eyes to do the same. I roll my eyes and sigh before doing the same, looking at the camera. By the fourth or fifth picture, _I _start to make _him_ make faces, and soon we have at least twenty pictures taken. We sit down and look at the pictures together, laughing at every one of them.

"Wow. We are such dorks," I say, smiling.

He nods. "Maybe. But there's one difference between Sydney the dork and Adrian the dork."

I raise my eyebrows, already expecting him to make a snarky remark. "Yeah? What's that?"

He smirks and says, "I'm an _awesome _dork."

* * *

"This is so gross, Adrian!"

"Hey, you started it," he says, smirking and taking his now dirty shirt off, tossing it into a hamper. I try not to stare at his abs, but I do allow myself a few glances. "And besides," he continues, "I went easy on you."

I shrug, looking away as I start thinking about how much sugar must have been in that pie.

"What's wrong," he asks, immediately noticing the change in my mood.

I shake my head, and he hands me a washcloth, sighing. "I shouldn't have gone for the pie," he says, his softer side coming out. The side of him I like the most.

I run the cloth under warm water before cleaning my face, cringing at the smell of the sugar that's covering my face. I got a whole mouthful of it. I wonder how many calories were in it.

What am I doing? Not even five minutes ago, I would've sworn I was the happiest girl in the world, and now, due to my insecurities, I'm in a horrible mood.

"Sage. I'm sorry, okay? It was wrong. I should've known it would upset you," he says, apparently seeing the disgusted look on my face.

I shake my head. "No, it was... fun. I was having a lot of fun, Adrian. I swear. It's just..." I shake my head, washing out the washcloth and wiping off my face again, feeling like I'll never get rid of the sugar.

As I scrub my face, he grabs my wrist gently, making me stop roughly rubbing the cloth against my cheeks. "Sage, the pie's off your face," he says in a cautious voice.

I shake my head. "I'm just making sure it's clean," I say, taking my hand back and scrubbing at my face again, making it sore but not yet satisfied that the nasty sweetener is off my skin.

"Sage, stop," he says, grabbing my wrist again.

"Adrian, knock it off," I snap, tugging my wrist out of his grip.

"Sydney. You're making your skin raw. Stop it," he almost pleads, not bothering to grab me again. I shake my head, not stopping and tearing up.

"Sage... Sydney..." he says softly, taking the cloth from my hands and putting it down on the counter then taking my hands.

I look down at our hands as a couple of tears run down my face, my built-up stresses making themselves known. Without a word, he pulls me into his arms, and I don't pull away. I bury my head in his bare neck, suddenly crying softly into it. Why am I crying? What's wrong with me? Why am I letting Adrian see me like this? Why don't I ask _him_ these questions?

He still doesn't say anything, just holding me to him as I let out my pent up emotions, and I work up the courage to ask him, "Why am I crying? What's wrong with me, Adrian? Why am I letting you see me like this," I ask him, looking up at him with tear-stained cheeks. He wipes my cheeks before talking to me gently.

"You're crying because you bottle everything up. You think that if you tell anyone about your problems and whatever that it makes you vulnerable and not good enough, and you're wrong. There's nothing wrong with you. Everyone has to be weak sometimes, Sage."

I nod, not really believing him but listening anyways.

"And, you have to answer the last question by yourself. I can't really tell you about your feelings and why you let your guard down in front of me. Honestly... I think you already know the answer to that, don't you agree," he asks, wiping my cheeks off gently with his thumb.

After a few moments of thinking, I nod. There's no doubt that I have feelings for him. He and I both know that. But, it's not about admitting to _myself_ that I feel something for him; it's about admitting it to _him_.

* * *

After getting cleaned up and eating our salads, we decide to spend the rest of our time together relaxing.

"I should probably be getting back to Amberwood soon…" I say reluctantly as we go out on his back porch as the sun starts going down. Sipping on some iced tea that I brought out, I watch Adrian pull out an awning that goes over the porch, no doubt shielding him from the sun that's shining right on us. I watch him admiringly again, and when he sees me looking at him this time, I don't look away.

He shoots me a smile that quickly turns into his prevailing smirk. "Take a picture, Sage. It'll last longer."

"I think we have enough of those, but… don't tempt me," I say, glaring at him jokingly, raising my phone slightly. He looks at me and smiles a genuine Adrian Ivashkov smile, and I smile slightly before taking a picture of him, my heart warming at the sight of his grin.

He comes over and sits next to me on the porch swing, and I look down at the picture I just took, smiling. He rests his hand on my thigh, palm up, and I slip my hand into his without a thought. It's kind of instinctive now to hold Adrian's hand when he's close. He threads his fingers through mine and I put my phone back into my pocket, resting my head on his shoulder. He rests his cheek on my head, and I close my eyes, very content.

Then, I realize something.

I don't want to leave.


End file.
